Choosing & Deploying
Pick and roll out the right tool: what actually matters, self-host vs cloud, modern alternatives, and alerting that doesn't cry wolf.
- 01
Choosing Monitoring Software: What Actually Matters
Scope your own needs before you shop: what you must SEE (bandwidth/sites/DNS/everything), data source, self-host vs cloud, network size, privacy constraints and budget. Four criteria that actually separate tools; avoid paying for capability you'll never use. Rework of 'How To Select Best Internet Monitoring Software'.
- 02
Self-Host vs Cloud Monitoring
Run it yourself (Pi-hole, ntopng, LibreNMS, PRTG on-prem) vs a cloud service (NextDNS, Umbrella, Netskope): control, data residency & privacy, remote/WFH coverage, effort and cost. How to pick per constraint; hybrids are common.
- 03
Modern Alternatives to Internet Access Monitor
IAM is gone — here's how to cover the same ground today, mapped by what you're replacing: proxy-log usage reports (Squid + SARG/Lightsquid, the closest heir), per-user/app traffic (ntopng), and web/cloud-app visibility (DNS tools + CASB). Honest, no-overspend guidance. Rework of 'Alternatives Of Internet Access Monitor'.
- 04
Alerting Without Alert Fatigue
Usage monitoring is only useful if the right signal reaches you. Alert on saturation and anomalies, not every blip; thresholds vs baselines; routing to email/Slack; why too many alerts is the same as none.